Graduates scheme plus for racing

THE PRICE IS RIGHT is the latest winner of the Barbados Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Sale Graduates’ Programme to cash in on the very luxurious opportunities afforded to allsale graduates.
The Bill and Haley Blevins-ownedfilly scampered home by half a lengthin the BTBA Sale Graduates’ Trophy Condition Race over 1 100 metres, which was her fifth career win andher second series success.
The sale graduates programme,which was formed in March 2010,serves to revive the horse sale market thus affording owners and breedersa set of initiatives that would enhance their horse racing experience. A purchasefrom the BTBA sale offers incentivesto capitalize on a specific buyer’s bonus for winning a BTBA sale race.
With the concurrence of the Barbados Turf Club (BTC), the BTBA programme offers a series of five races each year at varying distances for different age groups of graduates. Horses are given preference to start in any graduate race for its entire racing career based on eligibility.
For those races, the BTBA contributes additional money to the BTC purse with this portion of the purse being distributed down to the fifth placed horse. Breeders of the top three finishers are rewarded in the form of premiums which are in addition to what is paidout by the BTC for the race.
The opening year saw 49 graduates with the more popular winners being Kendal Moon (Midsummer Classic and Derby 2011 winner) Meteorite, Istanbul, Cinnamon Jane, Slip Stream, Lune De Barachois and Island Memories.
Among the programme challengesis the significant decline in the numberof locally-bred horses over the last two years, while one of the benefits has been its growth to the present support of195 horses.
Another attractive segment of the sale graduates programme is the offer of two bonuses. One is the Barbados Triple Crown Bonus which features the Barbados Guineas, Midsummer Creole Classic and the Derby – all grade I events. The BTBA offered a $100 000 bonus to any winner of these three races after the BTC had discontinued that incentive.
The second bonus is known as “buyer’s bonus” which is designed to encourage the purchasing of horses through the BTBA sale. Buyers will be rewardedwith $5 000 each time the horse winsan associated sale graduates’ race, irrespective of whether he is the current owner at the time of the horse’s success. The Price Is Right’s dual-bonus winning status came through this.
Apart from paying out in excessof $120 000 in prize money, gifts and prizes, the association has addedto the spectacle of their events byhaving all winners draped orgarlanded with sashes on enteringthe winners’ enclosure.